Metallic hoop.



T. JOHNSON.

METALLIC HOOP.

non men 1 Eatenteol Apr. 13, 1915.

ii'nrrnn snares raarnnir opinion.

THOBWALD JOHNSON, 03F CHICAGO, ILLINOISo METALLIC noor. a

menses.

Application filed Gctober 18, 1811.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THORWALD JoHNsoN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Metallic Hoops, of.which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention is concerned with metallic hoops for barrels, kegs, casks,etc., and is designed to produce an extremely simple hoop that can becheaply constructed, and that will be superior to those heretoforeproposed.

Where a comparatively thin metal hoop is employed, as is desirable forsome kinds of barrels, it is necessary to thicken the driving edge insome manner, and it has usually been proposed to do this by folding overthat edge. So far as I am aware, however, the resulting hoop has, inevery instance, had its stave-engaging surface either straight in crosssection or else slightly convex, with the result that when the hoop isapplied, it engages the staves along its center line, rather than at itsedges, as it should to get an efiective grip on the wood. Not only isthe grip of the hoop on t e staves ineffective, but the edges stand outfrom the wood, especially the thin edge toward the largest diameter ofthe barrel, with the result that in handling the barrel this edge of thehoop is engaged by any projections that may be presented to the surfaceof the barrel, and the hoops are speedily loosened or knocked off. Toovercome all these difficulties, I have invented the hoop illustrated,in which the stave-engaging face is slightly concave in cross section,so that when it is applied, its edges must engage the staves and thusinsure the desired grip on the wood, as well as prevent them fromprojecting so as to be accidentally engaged and knocked off.

To illustrate my invention, I annex hereto a sheet of drawings, inwhich,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a barrel or keg equippedwith my invention; Fig. '2 is an enlarged detail showing the shape ofthe hoop in cross section before it is applied; and Fig. 3 is a similarview showing the hoop after it is applied to the barrel.

In the drawings, A represents a barrel made up of the customary staves,and B represents my improved hoop seen in cross section. In the specificembodiment illus- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr, 13, 11%15.

Serial No. 655,412.

t rated it is made of thin metal, and the portion extending from theplain lower edge 1 to the angle 2 is flat, or substantially so (exceptfor the curvature due to the length of the hoop), while the upper, innerportion extending from the angle 2 to the angle 3 is rolled at such'anangle to the lower portion that there is a pronounced concavity in thestave-engaging face, as seen in cross sec tion, especially before it hasbeen placed on the barrel. While the actual amount of the concavity hasbeen slightly exaggerated in the drawing to direct attention to it, yetin practice I make the depth of the concavity substantially equal to thethickness of the metal strip composing the hoop. To form a thickeneddriving portion on the upper edge, I preferably turn over the outer,upper portion which extends back to the angle 2, and its edge 4; engagesthe outer surface so as not to project beyond the plane of the outersurface of the lower portion extending from the edge 1 to the angle 2.

i Vhen a hoop of the design shown is applied to a barrel, as seen inFig. 3, it will be noted that it engages the barrel at its inner edgesonly, and that when the hoop is forced in place, by driving it by meansof tools or machinery applied to the angle 3, while the degree of theconcavity may be lessened, it still remains, so that the edgesconstitute the engaging portion of the hoop, with the result that itgrips the wood with great firmness, and cannot be readily detached. lheform shown in cross section, when the hoop is in place, presents noedges that extend away from the wood and form surfaces that can bereadily engaged by projections with which the barrel may come in contactas it is handled.

While hoops embodying my invention are useful in all positions on thebarrel, they are especially designed for use on the ends of barrelswhich are shipped to users with the heads in place. When they arereceived and are to be filled, the uppermost hoop has to be knocked offso as to loosen the head, which is then removed, the contents inserted,

and the head and top hoop replaced. Where an ordinary hoop is employed,with the engaging surface originally flat, by the time it has beenremoved and replaced, it is made so convex on its engaging surface thatit barely engages the staves at the center line of the hoop, andnumerous nails have to be driven into it to hold it on the barrel andkeep the head in place. With my improved ture, a hoop for woodenbarrels, formed of a single strip of thin Sheet-metal with a thickeneddriving portion on its edge of lesser diameter formed by folding overthat edge of the metal until it engages the opposing Qpnigs of,thispatent may :be obtained fqr and as a result, even after the hoopsurface and forms a flattened fold, and with its plain edge of greaterdiameter adapted to engage the staves, an angle being formed alongthecentral line of said hoop so that the stave-engaging face is slightlyconcaved as shown so that it engages the staves at its edges only andany pressure applied to the angle at the central'line of the hoop tendsto cause the hoop to flatten and its edges to engage the staves morefirmly.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal,this 13th day of October, A. D. 1911.

THORWALD JOHNSON. [1,. s.]

Witnesses:

JOHN HOWARD MOELROY, MILDRED ELSNER.

five cents ea hnby addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,I). C.

